Run Around by Avis at PDX

Way back in November of 2008 we booked a mid-size car for pick-up in May 2009 at PDX on the Avis website. We got a great rate and I was pleased that pick up of the vehicle was right at the terminal.

We are two Florida seniors who arrived at PDX at 10PM feeling pretty exhausted having left our home in Florida at 9 am eastern time. It was now 1 AM for us!

There was no one else at the counter. When they pull up the reservation, the agent%26#39;s whole demeanor changed. He started telling me how busy they had been with Memorial Day weekend etc. (this was the Tuesday following Memorial Day) and that they were short of cars - yada, yada, yada.

He said we can put you in a Chevy HHM (or whatever that model is). I told him I wanted a mid-size vehicle with a trunk as we would be leaving our luggage in the vehicle (my 72 year old husband not wanting to drag luggage in and out of hotels and B%26amp;Bs every night). In Florida it is recommended that vacationers store belongings out of site in a vehicle. He then said - I can give you a Dodge Caliber and I said - wouldn%26#39;t the luggage still be in view and isn%26#39;t a Caliber a Compact? He says yes it will be in view and Avis considers a Caliber to be a mid-size car. Hubby and I say we will look at the Chevy and drag our luggage up the escalators to the staging area. There are all kinds of mid-size cars in the garage. I may be older but I know categories of vehicles from renting on many vacations. We look at the Chevy and decide that is not what I want to be driving. Now we pull all the luggage down the escalators and back to the desk where I ask the agent about cars parked in the stalls. Every car I ask about he says - well that is a long term rental or that one is reserved or that one is -------. Mind you, all these vehicles are parked in the same row as the Chevy and not in the Preferred section. I say what do we need to do to get a car with a trunk and he responds with we can upgrade to a Hyndai Sonata for $10 more a day (this is going to be a 12 day car rental = $120 more) or a Toyota Prius for $20 a day more. When I refuse he says well that is the best we can do. I am really angry now and ask for a manager who never appears. I really think they didn%26#39;t want to honor the rate which was a legitimate rate from the Avis website. After much bickering back and forth he finally says well we do have a Toyota Corolla. I say fine knowing it has a trunk. The car had over 30,000 miles on it but drove fine the entire trip.

We have run into this before when renting from Avis. If they don%26#39;t want to rent cars at certain rates, then they should not be offered.

We finally got the car and headed out of PDX at 11PM (2 AM our time). I will never rent from Avis again.

We loved our trip to Oregon but hated dealing with Avis at PDX.

Run Around by Avis at PDX

I hope you copied your post to AVIS manager, in Portland, and Corporate. And request a reply.

Run Around by Avis at PDX

I agree, send this to Avis Corporate. Times are not so good that they can afford to treat customers badly ..

I am glad that your trip to Oregon was not spoiled by this or a bad car ... that little old Toyota did the job :)

%26lt;%26lt;After much bickering back and forth he finally says well we do have a Toyota Corolla. I say fine knowing it has a trunk. The car had over 30,000 miles on it but drove fine the entire trip.%26gt;%26gt;

Ah, of course it did, it%26#39;s a Toyota....great cars.

Bummer to hear that you had such trouble with Avis. I agree with the others, make sure that Avis knows of the issues you had at PDX. There was no reason for you to be given a run around, especially since you had booked in advance.

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